Fact Check: Did A Madhya Pradesh Minister Take Oath Twice?

Bhopal: Almost seven months after taking charge, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expanded his ministry on Monday.

One of the leaders rewarded for switching allegiance from Congress to the BJP recently was Ramniwas Rawat. But in a rarest of rare cases, he had to be sworn in twice!

Ramniwas won an Assembly election for the sixth time as Congress candidate from Vijaypur in Sheopur district last December. BJP, however, won by an overwhelming majority, bagging 163 out of 230 seats as Congress managed 66.

Ramniwas, a former MP minister (1993) in the Digivijaya Singh cabinet who was unsuccessful in his attempt to be elected as a Lok Sabha MP (2019), ditched Congress to join the ruling BJP on April 30, during the Lok Sabha elections.

While being sworn in as Cabinrt minister by Governor Mangubhai Patel on Monday, Ramniwas misread from his oath paper as ‘Rajya Mantri’ (state minister) instead of ‘Rajya ke Mantri’, an official said.

There was confusion among mediapersons on whether Ramniwas took oath as a minister of state or Cabinet minister.

The authorities concerned then decided to have Rawat take oath again.

The initial function was held at Sandipani auditorium in Raj Bhawan, while the second oath-taking was held in Darbar Hall of the Governor House.

The Governor had tom administer the oath of office and secrecy to Ramniwas once again in the presence of the CM and other dignitaries.

This time, took oath as ‘Rajya ke Mantri’.

The chief minister and Ramniwas himself clarified to reporters outside Raj Bhawan that the latter had taken oath as Cabinet minister.